Mine is personal to me and given to me by a friend. To know him is to understand why he said this. I was going through some emotional times and i needed to get out and run this day.

I was hem-hawing around and really didn't "feel" like running.

He said this.

"Shut up and run" Meaning to shut up my mind and go run. In doing so it released a lot of stress and anxiety and i was so grateful he said it AFTER i was done. At the time he said it i was mad at him and wanted to wack him upside the head. After i was done, i thanked him and he got a hug.

Some of my favorites that I actually write in my planner each week as motivational tool:

"Those who say it can't be done are usually interrupted by others doing it."

"There is no such thing as bad running weather-only inappropriate clothing."

"Go fast enough to get there, but slow enough to see."

"You can never run a hill too hard-you'll collapse before hurting it."

And the one that helps push me through those difficult miles: "I run because I can. When I get tired, I remember those who can't run and what they'd give to have this simple gift I take for granted and I run harder for them. I know they would do the same for me."

"A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more. Nobody is going to win a 5,000 meter race after running an easy 2 miles. Not with me. If I lose forcing the pace all the way, well, at least I can live with myself."-- Steve Prefontaine

"And the one that helps push me through those difficult miles: "I runbecause I can. When I get tired, I remember those who can't run andwhat they'd give to have this simple gift I take for granted and I runharder for them. I know they would do the same for me."

We put that on our high school Cross Country t-shirts one year, after the Football team seemed to get all the attention, money and accolades. Sadly cross country is the forgotten sport in high school, yet we usually have all the scholar athletes and valedictorians.